Geranium plant named Twist

ABSTRACT

A geranium plant named Twist having carmine-salmon flower color; semi-double flower form with large flowerhead; dark green foliage; fast rooting; compact growth habit; and very good chlorophyll quality for transportation.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of geranium,botanically known as Pelargonium zonale, and hereinafter referred to bythe cultivar name Twist.

Twist is a product of a planned breeding program which had the objectiveof creating new geranium cultivars having dark green zonated foliage,unique flower color, very good chlorophyll quality for shipping, veryfast rooting, and compact growth habit.

Twist was originated from a hybridization made by Ingeborg Schumann in acontrolled breeding program in Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germanyin 1981. The female parent was an inbred line of Perlpenie having white,semi-double flowers. The male parent of Twist was Bern, having a redsingle flower and dark foliage. Bern is a cultivar of the "Pelfi"®series of Pelargonien-Fischer KG, Hillscheid, Federal Republic ofGermany. Both parents are unpatented.

Twist was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated cross by Ingeborg Schumann on May 30, 1982 in acontrolled environment in Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany.

The first act of asexual reproduction of Twist was accomplished whenvegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in January of1983 in a controlled environment in Hillscheid, Federal Republic ofGermany by a technician working under formulations established andsupervised by Ingeborg Schumann. Horticultural examination of selectedunits initiated in the spring of 1983 and 1984 has demonstrated that thecombination of characteristics as herein disclosed for Twist are firmlyfixed and are retained through successive generations of asexualreproduction.

Twist has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions.The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment suchas temperature, light intensity, and day length. The followingobservations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown inHillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany, under conditions whichapproximate those generally used in commercial practice.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of Twist, which in combination distinguish thisgeranium as a new and distinct cultivar.

1. Dark green zonated foliage.

2. Carmine-salmon flower color.

3. Semi-double flower form with large flowerhead.

4. Very good chlorophyll quality for transportation.

5. Very fast rooting.

6. Compact growth habit.

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of Twist, with colors being as true as possible withillustrations of this type.

In the following description color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determinedbetween 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on May 22, 1985 under 35,000 Lux lightintensity at Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany.

Classification:

Botanical.--A hybrid of the genus Pelargonium l'hert and speciesPelargonium zonale.

Commercial.--Twist.

Inflorescence

A. Umbel:

Average diameter.--114 mm.

Average depth.--62 mm.

Peduncle length.--136 mm.

Pedicel length.--33 mm.

B. Corolla:

Average diameter.--49 mm.

Form.--Semi-double; asymmetric.

Color (general tonality from a distance of threemeters).--Carmine-salmon. Upper Surface: 45C.

C. Bud:

Shape.--Oval; pointed.

Color.--White-yellow to light red.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--5-8 stamens.

Gynoecium.--4-5 lobed stigma.

E. Spring flowering response period: In Hillscheid, Federal Republic ofGermany, in 1983, 45% of plants opened with at least one flower 13 weeksafter planting of unrooted cuttings.

F. Outdoor flower production: The total flower count in 1983 inHillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany, was between 46 and 50 flowersper plant for the June through October observation period.

G. Durability: Very good.

PLANT

A. Foliage: Rounded, slightly crenate.

Form.--Kidney shaped.

Color.--Top surface: Dark green, near 137A. Zonation: Weak zonation.

Tolerance of botrytis.--Good.

B. General appearance and form:

Internode length.--21 mm.

Branching pattern.--3.0 branches per plant.

Height.--200 mm.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of geranium named Twist, asdescribed and illustrated, and particularly characterized by itscarmine-salmon flower color; semi-double flower form with largeflowerhead; dark green foliage; fast rooting; compact growth habit; andvery good chlorophyll quality for transportation.